


Something's Brewin' (Negan x Lucille)

by negansdirtygirl



Category: The Walking Dead & Related Fandoms, The Walking Dead (Comics), The Walking Dead (TV)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Coffee Shops & Cafés, Angst, Books, Coach Negan (Walking Dead), Coffee, Coffee Shops, Eventual Romance, F/M, Fluff and Angst, Negan (Walking Dead) Swears, Romance, Study Date, Studying, Tattoos
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-11
Updated: 2017-08-11
Packaged: 2018-12-13 22:44:25
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,408
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/11769954
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/negansdirtygirl/pseuds/negansdirtygirl
Summary: Prequel set in 1992. By day, Negan coaches at the local high school. By night, he ditches the whistle and puts on a barista uniform to work at a local coffee shop. Lucille rushes in at the last minute, in need of a caffeine fix to fuel a college cram sesh. Negan keeps the shop open late for her while a storm brews outside.





	Something's Brewin' (Negan x Lucille)

The year was 1992 and Negan was 25 years old. By day, he was a ping-pong coach at the local high school. By night, he worked at a coffee shop called Sacred Grounds on the nicer side of town to make ends meet. He lived on the wrong side of the tracks but he knew how to blend in for his own benefit, taking off the leather jacket in exchange for a barista's button-down dress shirt.  
  
It had been a long day and he was so ready to go home for the night. He wiped up one last droplet of coffee from the counter and eyed the tip jar. "Fucking meager," he commented under his breath to no one at all. "It was not a productive damn day." He was closing and his co-workers had already left for the night.  
  
Just as Negan was daydreaming about dropping by VHS Hut to pick up a movie to watch that night, so ready to walk out the door and head home to his apartment, the bell on the door jingled and he realized he forgot to lock up. "Sorry, we're closed," he said without ire, looking up and meeting the gaze of a young, vibrant woman.  
  
"Oh, damn it," she snapped her fingers. "I have to cram all night for an exam and I really needed that red eye. Well, thanks anyway."  
  
She started back out the door but Negan's strong arm reached around her to block her hasty exit. Her gaze fell on his strong forearm and the gun that was tattooed on it in crisp black and gray. His reach might have felt intrusive to another woman, but to her, it felt protective. She looked up into his twinkly hazel eyes and smiled. "One red eye, coming right up. After hours and on the house. Just don't tell my boss," he winked.  
  
He crossed back behind the counter and busied himself measuring coffee and espresso grounds for her order, but he found himself a bit nervous, still under her thoughtful gaze. She was dressed plainly in jeans, sneakers, and a college sweatshirt, but her face belied a warmth and a maturity that went far beyond her physical youth. Her skin was porcelain and her hair was dark brown and curly. She was a natural beauty if he'd ever seen one. He felt an attraction and a yearning that was different than with the other girls. He could have any woman he wanted, and he generally did so. So why was he so intimidated by this one?  
  
"I appreciate you keeping the shop open for me," she said as she grabbed a stool, resting her elbows on the counter and propping her chin on her folded hands. "I don't think I'd survive this night without a megadose of caffeine."  
  
"No fuckin' problem, darlin'." She braced slightly at his casual use of the F word. "Ah, sorry. The boss makes me watch my language during working hours but I'm off the clock now." He laughed, the corners of his eyes crinkling.  
  
Lucille smiled back at him warmly. "I'm no schoolgirl. Er, well, maybe I am. But don't censor yourself on my account. I'm Lucille, by the way."  
  
"I'm Negan." The air hung heavy around them for a moment with a sort of kismet feeling. Negan broke the silence with a warm laugh. "Why do I feel like I've known you forever?"  
  
  
An hour later, they had each finished a red eye and were deep in conversation at one of the booths. The rain had gradually increased from a light drizzle to pounding sheets of rain, but Negan and Lucille were in their own little world and scarcely noticed the storm.  
  
Negan was enamored with the way she gestured with her hands as she talked. She was so passionate about everything, whether it was her studies or the state of the world. They covered a lot of ground in an hour but neither one wanted to stop the conversation.  
  
"And you're really a ping-pong coach? I didn't even know that was a thing!" Her laughter bubbled and tickled Negan's ears, encouraging him to charm her even more so that he could hear her laugh again.  
  
"Yeah, my dad was really into ping-pong and we used to play all the time when I was a kid. I got into some competitive matches and before I knew it, I was on a career path. I guess we never know where life will lead us."  
  
"I guess we don't." His words lingered in her mind as her eyes lovingly traced the strong features of his face. Lucille finally looked at her watch. "Oh, Negan. This has been wonderful but I've got so much cramming to do tonight. I've really got to go—"  
  
Negan shushed her with a finger to the lips. Again, a move that another woman might have been put off by, but she felt electrified by his touch. "Now, now, darlin'. You can't drive in a downpour like this. You'll stay right here with me until the weather clears. I'll keep you swimming in caffeine while you crack those books."  
  
Lucille laughed, pushing his finger away but keeping her hand on his for a moment longer than she needed to. She was about to counter his offer when the sound of thunder cracked and boomed a little too close for comfort. Her eyes went wide and now it was Negan's turn to laugh.  
  
"Yeah," he shook his head at her, glancing again at the rain pounding against the windows, "I'll put a pot of coffee on." He walked back behind the counter, performing the rote motions of measuring coffee into a filter and filling the machine with water. His hands took care of the coffee while his eyes stayed on Lucille.  
  
She was neat and organized in every way. She pulled her books out of her bag and stacked them neatly on the table, opening her biology text book to just the right page. She pulled out a notebook and placed it, open, on the table, and even from a distance, Negan could see that her notes were handwritten perfectly and arranged so orderly on the page.  
  
Negan was a wild child, a 25-year-old grunge-rock-loving bad boy. His day job at the high school and his night work at the coffee shop paid the bills but somehow felt like placeholders. He didn't know what the future might hold, but even the distant possibility of total anarchy or a zombie apocalypse seemed like it would be a blast compared to his current situation.  
  
Compared to Negan's uncertainty about his future and his flying-by-the-seat-of-his-pants behavior, Lucille was a meticulous little ray of sunshine. _I shouldn't be attracted to a girl like this. She's too sweet. Too good._ But the thought was there and it had already taken hold. As he poured two cups of black coffee and carried them over to the table, he knew it was going to be a night he'd never forget.  
  
  
Two hours later, Lucille was still pouring over her college textbooks and Negan was sitting patiently across from her, pretending to read a thick Stephen King paperback. He had it stashed in his backpack for boring moments at work, and just yesterday it had held his full attention. Tonight, every time he tried to keep his eyes on the page, his gaze would drift back up to Lucille's beautiful face, her brow furrowed as she focused hard on her studies.  
  
She abruptly slammed her book shut, breaking the silence, and smiling gleefully at Negan, who would have been caught like a deer in headlights staring at her if she weren't too elated to notice. "All done! I am ready to ace this exam in the morning!" She reached across the table and her fingertips traced the gun tattoo that she had admired earlier. "Thank you for the caffeine and the quiet place to work."  
  
"It was my absolute fucking pleasure."  
  
Negan hoped that Lucille might lean in for a kiss or even give him a little hug, but she stretched and yawned and rose to her feet. "I'm sorry to run, but if I don't get some sleep, this study sesh will have been for nothing." She placed her books, notebook, and pens back in her bag and was at the door before Negan could blink. "I'll be back soon, I promise."  
  
Negan was left open-mouthed with empty arms.


End file.
